1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for monitoring incipient and/or actual coke formation during the processing of a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock in a processing zone.
2. Description of the Related Art
The processing of a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock at elevated temperatures in a processing zone, such as a furnace, heat exchanger, distillation tower or other equipment, can result in the formation of carbonaceous substances which can deposit on surfaces of the equipment. Such carbonaceous substances are generally referred to as "coke" in the fields of petroleum refining and petro-chemical processes.
Coke deposition on equipment surfaces is undesirable since it alters the operation of the equipment, usually in an undesirable manner.
The chemical and physical factors involved in the formation of coke have not been fully elucidated, and the propensity of certain feedstocks to form coke, and the rate at which coke is actually formed and deposited have heretofore not been determinable in industrial plant such as petroleum refineries and petrochemical works. As a result, maintenance schedules which take account of deterioration in process and equipment performance due to coke have not been very accurate.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for monitoring incipient and/or actual coke formation during the contacting of a hydrocarbon-containing feedstock with hot surfaces, such as the heating surfaces of a heating furnace or the internal structures of a distillation tower.